


Oblivious

by deirdre_aithne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Getting Together, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 13:18:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18993424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deirdre_aithne/pseuds/deirdre_aithne
Summary: Lavender's got it bad for Neville. Now, if only she could figure out if he's just oblivious, or not interested.





	Oblivious

**Author's Note:**

> Written for hphet Mini Fest prompt 29, by lightofdaye - "Are you really this oblivious to flirting? Or are you just turning me down very gently?"
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own or claim to own any characters, settings, locations, etc. from Harry Potter. All borrowed aspects of the above fandom are used purely for entertainment in a fanwork, and will be returned to their proper fandom and owners scratch, dent, and injury-free.  
>  **Author's Notes:** Many thanks to yerawizardamber for the swift beta work on this. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own. Also thanks to the prompter for the fun pairing and prompt to work with – oblivious boys can be a real trip to write.

"Damn," Lavender muttered under her breath as she shut the greenhouse door behind herself. She'd gotten so caught up in watching Neville from the hill outside, she hadn't noticed the darkening sky overhead until it was too late. The downpour had sent her running inside, but not before soaking her to the bone.

"Neville?" she called out once she'd dried both herself and the puddle that had formed beneath her feet. She had some idea where he was working, after watching him through the windows, but he hardly needed to know that. It seemed like he was constantly surrounded by adoring fans since the War had ended, and showed little interest in any of their attention. Lavender didn't want him to look at her as just another one of them.

"End of the third row," came Neville's answer, and Lavender promptly set out towards him.

The rows of plant beds were thriving these days, due in no small part to Neville's work. He'd taken over the Herbology position once the dust had settled from the Battle, when Professor Sprout had chosen to retire after the strains of the year. And as many of their classmates had stayed behind to help rebuild the castle over the summer, Neville had busied himself doing the same in the greenhouses.

"Evening," Lavender said once she found Neville, kneeling in front of one of the lower beds. He was digging his hands into the soil beneath a wide spray of flowering stems, carefully digging around the base of the plants. "What are you working with?"

"Gladiolus plants. A few tendrils from one of my creeping vines got into the soil and were disrupting the roots. I need to be sure I got it all when I pulled them the other day."

"They're beautiful," Lavender said as she brushed her fingers against one of the blooms. "Maybe the prettiest thing here."

Neville's gaze flicked from the flower to her before he shook his head. "There's a Muggle carnation bush in back that I was growing for the memorials. It's quite stunning, really."

"Of course." Lavender stamped down a rush of disappointment when Neville didn't take the obvious cue. It certainly wasn't the first time she'd given him such an opening over the past few weeks, only for it to go unnoticed. She couldn't quite pinpoint whether he was simply clueless as to what she was getting at, or tactfully trying to avoid it.

Kneeling down beside him, Lavender watched him work for a moment, then smiled and laid her hand on Neville's arm. "So, are you this gentle with everything you care for?" she asked, leaning slightly against him. Rather than lean into her in return, Neville glanced at her with a hint of confusion before shaking his head.

"Not really, no." He slipped his arm free of her touch in order to point at a plant in another bed across the greenhouse. "That tentacular over there is a fierce thing. There's not any time for slow and gentle with it if I don't want to wind up in hospital. I've got a few like that around here, actually."

Lavender bit her lower lip briefly. "Well, nothing wrong with a bit of a firm touch, when it's called for," she tried, giving him a wink.

Nodding, Neville's attention remained on the soil he was sifting through. "It's all about what each plant needs, after all."

" _Right_ ," Lavender agreed with a sigh, pulling back to sit on the nearby bench. Neville really was either blind, or deliberately obtuse, and she wasn't sure which was worse. "So," she tried after a few moments of listening to the rain on the greenhouse roof. "Would you maybe like to go for dinner, when you're finished here?"

"Hm?" Neville glanced over at her as the question registered. "Oh, no, thanks, I had a bite before I got started."

"Then drinks, maybe?"

He shook his head. "I don't drink much, really."

"All right, Longbottom, that's it." Lavender stood in a huff, planting her hands on her hips and frowning at him. "I've been sending you all the right signals for weeks, now. Are you really this oblivious to flirting, or are you just letting me down _very_ gently?"

"Flirting?" Neville repeated in a bewildered tone. "I didn't... I'm not..."

A rush of tears threatened to rise up as Lavender shook her head. "It's fine," she snapped, her tone sharper than intended as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. If Neville didn't feel the same, that was fine, and she most certainly _was not_ going to cry in front of him because of it. "It's fine," she repeated as she stepped around him for the door.

"Wait!"

Neville caught her hand, and Lavender spun on her heel to find him already on his feet and suddenly so very _close_. She tilted her head back slightly to look at him, just as he lowered his face towards her to bring their lips together. For an instant, everything stood still, until she made a soft sound against his lips and stepped closer.

" _You're_ the most beautiful thing in here," Neville whispered against her lips when they separated, squeezing the hand he still held in his own. "That's what I wanted to say. Before, I mean..."

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, the kiss leaving her unbalanced in the very best of ways as she leaned against his chest. With a laugh, Lavender adjusted their hands to twine their fingers together. "Well, better late than never, I suppose."


End file.
